Four incidents of piracy in Singapore

• Previous
• Next

There have been four incidents of piracy in the New Malaysia Strait.

In September, the Strait of Malacca and the Straits of Singapore witnessed four more serious incidents of robbery and theft of ships, including three on the same day.

The MV SeaVoyager

A Panamanian bulk carrier "SeaVoyager" was in the waters of 1° 4.18’n and 103° 37.07’e, where the Strait of Malacca meets the Strait of Singapore, about 5.9 nautical miles northwest of Gula Island, Indonesia, sailing along the TSS eastbound channel.

During the voyage, the crew spotted five knife-wielding suspects in the steering gear compartment. An alarm was sounded and the crew quickly assembled for a search. No one was injured and no property was reported stolen. The incident was urgently reported to the Singapore VTIS and a safe navigation broadcast was initiated, along with notification to the RSN's MSTF and the Singapore PCG. After the ship arrived at the port of Singapore, the PCG conducted a boarding search but found no trace of the suspect and the relevant information was shared with the Indonesian authorities.
The MV AtlanticTiger
Also a Marshall Islands-owned bulk carrier AtlanticTiger, the incident was located in the waters of 1° 15.25’n, 103° 38.85’e, that is, the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore junction, about 4 nautical miles northwest of Gula Island, Indonesia, also sailing along the TSS eastbound channel.
During the voyage, the crew spotted six to seven suspects near the stern. The crew was urgently assembled to search, and no one was injured in the process, but unfortunately the engine spare parts were stolen. The incident was quickly reported to the Singapore VTIS and a safe navigation broadcast was initiated, along with an alert to the RSN's MSTF and the Singapore PCG. After the ship arrived at the port of Singapore, the PCG conducted a boarding and search, but the suspects fled and the relevant information was shared with the Indonesian authorities.
Third, MV Target 10 & MV  Alam 281
The incident involved a Malaysian tugboat and the barge it was towing, Target 10&Alam 281, in waters at 1° 15.25’n, 104° 1.85’e, off the Malaysian port of Johor and approximately 2.2 nautical miles south of the Indonesian island of Maung King.
During the voyage, the tugboat captain reported that some scrap metal from the tugboat had been stolen by the suspects using small boats. The crew immediately assembled to search and ensure the safety of the personnel. The incident was reported to the Singapore VTIS and a secure navigation broadcast was initiated, the RSN's MSTF and the Singapore PCG were notified, and the information was shared with the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.
MV NewDestiny

NewDestiny, a bulk carrier registered in the Marshall Islands, was in the waters of 1° 5.6’n and 103° 43.7’e, where the Strait of Malacca meets the Strait of Singapore, about 3.3 nautical miles north of the Indonesian island of Gura, sailing along the TSS eastbound channel.

During the voyage, the crew found five suspects in the cabin armed with what appeared to be guns. The crew quickly gathered for a search, but the suspect was no longer in sight, and it was impossible to confirm whether the property on the ship was stolen. The captain immediately reported to Singapore VTIS West and initiated a safe navigation broadcast, informing the RSN's Maritime Safety Task Force (MSTF) and the Singapore Coast Guard (PCG). After the ship arrived at the port of Singapore, the PCG boarded and searched the ship, still found no trace of the suspect, and shared information with the relevant Indonesian authorities.
This series of incidents has aroused great concern of relevant departments. All ships sailing in the new Ma Strait need to be extra vigilant, strengthen duty, pay attention to safety.